There is an increasing awareness of the possible hazards of indiscriminate disposal of empty containers for toxic chemical products; and, in large scale commercial operations, government regulations and standards have been established for rinsing of those containers before they can be discarded. For example, under 40 C.F.R. Ch. 1, large metal drums which contain pesticides for crop dusting or aerial spraying operations must, prior to disposal, be subjected to a triple rinsing operation. By "triple rinsing" is meant flushing of containers three times and adding the rinse liquid to the spray mixture or disposing of it by a method prescribed for disposing of the pesticide. The large metal drums or cylinders typically include a limited inlet or bung hole at the upper end and thus affords but limited access for a rinsing operation and having made it virtually impossible for one person to efficiently rinse and remove the rinsed materials from the drum and repeat this the requisite number of times.
Various proposals have been advanced to overcome the above-enumerated problems and, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,467 to P. Ballu discloses the use of a rinsing vat for small containers with a central nozzle projecting above the upper open end of the vat and a lower funnel-shaped drain. The device is activated by placing the container over the nozzle such that the weight of the drum depresses spring-loaded supporting arms to open a valve for the delivery of a rinsing liquid through the nozzle. When the weight of the drum is removed from the support arms, the valve is closed and the rinsing liquid is then directed through the lower drain of the system for flushing out the collected liquid. U.S. Pat. No. 1,795,763 to C. G. Cramer et al discloses a nozzle which is inserted into the inlet of a drum for the purpose of rinsing out its interior. U.S. Pat. No. 2,845,934 to R. C. Payson similarly discloses a rinse nozzle for cleaning out the interior of a drum and the rinse materials are removed through a suction tube associated with the nozzle. Other representative patents are U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,620,654 to O. K. Haugen, 1,629,486 and 1,657,072 to D. A. Dougherty, 2,105,767 to F. Gettelman, 3,470,891 and 3,564,584 to M. Ruddick and 3,798,066 and 4,957,566 to R. J. Evans et al.
Nevertheless, rinsing systems of the type which have been proposed for use in the past are not adequate for cleaning out larger drums used in storing pesticides in aerial spraying operations. In this relation, it is important that the drum be supported within the rinsing vessel and be capable of being tilted or manipulated to assure complete flushing of the interior of the drum and further to insure that a single individual can efficiently conduct this operation, if necessary, and to be able to dispose of the rinse liquid in a manner prescribed by law. Furthermore, it is desirable that the rinsing vessel itself be capable of being transported to the intended site of use and easily connected to a source of rinsing liquid; yet the rinsing system must be sufficiently versatile as to permit efficient rinsing of smaller containers as well as the vessel itself and to enable efficient collection of the rinsed materials either for reuse or in a suitable waste collection area.